Stricter rules introduced at the start of this year have led to a fall in the number of new applications and permits for non-European labour migrants in Flanders.
Between January and July, 4,125 applications for labour migrants were submitted in Flanders – 539 fewer (nearly 12% down) than in the same period in 2025, according to figures obtained by De Tijd from Flemish Employment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA).
Since the beginning of the year, employers seeking to hire staff from outside the European Union have faced more paperwork and higher costs. Fees have risen from €152 to €332.
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The conditions for approval have also been tightened. Low-skilled workers from outside the EU are no longer eligible, except for seasonal work in sectors such as agriculture and horticulture.
Medium-skilled workers can now qualify only for jobs included on the migration list of shortage occupations.
The sharpest decline was recorded in applications for those medium-skilled roles, in line with Demir’s stated policy aim. Applications for highly skilled labour migrants from outside the EU have remained broadly stable.
Highly skilled workers accounted for just over 42% of all applications between January and July, up from 38% in the same period in 2025.
Demir said the stricter rules were delivering results just in time. Companies, she said, must first give jobseekers in Flanders a chance, including the many lower-skilled people already in the region’s labour market.
